Pune: The district mining officer of Gadchiroli said that 12,500 cubic feet of sand and soil was excavated from two spots on government land and riverbank of Paralkota by sand mafia during a hearing of the National Green Tribunal’s western bench on Wednesday. The officer stated in his affidavit, “The spot was inspected on Dec 29, 2023 and it was found that at Paralkota river, several unknown sand mafias had illegally excavated red soil and cut trees from dense forest areas, made a temporary road on Paralkota riverbed and transported tractors.” The principal bench of the tribunal on Feb 1 this year had taken a suo-motu cognizance of a TOI article, titled “Sand mafia builds roads to riverbed, officials unearth it”, published on Jan 3.
The revenue department had found a temporary road allegedly constructed by sand mafia in Bhamragarh taluka of Gadchiroli. The bench had then sought replies from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, principal chief conservator of forests (HoFF) of Maharashtra, water resources department of the state govt, and collector and district magistrate of Gadchiroli, after which it was referred to the western bench. On May 5, the pollution body stated in an affidavit that during a joint inspection by additional district collector, Aheri, tehsildar, Bhamragad, mandal officer, Bhamragad, and talathi of Bhamragad, it was found that about 60 brass sand excavations had been done by the party and 65 brass soil excavations by a machine in the riverbed.